


A List for the One That's Not Broken

by thelosersparty



Category: Seven Ways We Lie - Riley Redgate
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexuality, Denial, Drunkenness, Gen, Humor, One-Sided Attraction, Pansexual Character, Platonic Cuddling, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-08 19:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13465194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelosersparty/pseuds/thelosersparty
Summary: I don't have much experience being around intoxicated people, but I think this is somewhat accurate. I also finished reading the book last summer, and my memory is staggered on their exact physical descriptions. I wrote them looking how I remember. I didn't put the actual definition because I couldn't find a really good one. You can just look it up if you don't know what it is. Haha.





	A List for the One That's Not Broken

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have much experience being around intoxicated people, but I think this is somewhat accurate. I also finished reading the book last summer, and my memory is staggered on their exact physical descriptions. I wrote them looking how I remember. I didn't put the actual definition because I couldn't find a really good one. You can just look it up if you don't know what it is. Haha.

Dusk had fallen over the small town of Paloma, Kansas. It was like someone had painted the sky the lightest shade of black and splashed specks of white paint over the canvas to mimic the impression of stars. A chilly wind dared to threaten this piece of work. Merely faded sounds could be heard from every suburban neighborhood on the block with the exception of one.

Valentine was sitting on the sofa chair in his living room with thumb in his mouth, chewing on the nail. He was deeply invested into an autobiography he was reading about this neurophysicist who discovered a new atom when he was only 17. This was quite impressive by Valentine’s standards even though the methods that he used were inconspicuous. He turned the page after reading about his early childhood and saw an old picture of him as a teenager. He had dark curly hair, caramel brown eyes, and olive toned skin. He stared down at the younger version of him and thought he oddly looked a little bit like Lucas. He held his breath and exhaled. Suddenly, he didn’t feel like reading anymore. He slowly closed the book with his eyes fixed on the large window that was in the center of the wall connecting the living room and the main hallway. He saw headlights slowly approaching through the street. They were getting closer to his house, and he recognized the familiar pick-up truck. It belonged to Lucas.

‘What is he doing here so late? It’s a school night,” Valentine thought. He smoothed out the book’s leather cover and set it down on a side table that had a dimly lit lamp on it. He leaned forward putting his hands on his knees with a curious expression on his face. Lucas took his time to park right in front of Valentine’s driveway and started violently beeping his horn. Valentine jumped in his seat, hands flying in the air. In panic mode, he went to the kitchen to grab a spare key for his front door off a small rack on the countertop and walked as quickly as he could while being as silent as possible back down the corridor. He unlocked the doorknob and did the opposite when he was on his front porch. 

He ran to where the driver’s seat was. He swung the car door open and told Lucas to stop. When he ignored his command, Valentine grabbed his hands and yanked him out of his spot. Lucas practically toppled over him. Valentine used the minimal physical strength he had to hold him up. It was hard when Lucas was so much taller than him. He almost gagged at the strong scent of alcohol lingering on Lucas’s clothes. The atrocious smell bothered him profusely. Eventually, Valentine got him back to where he was sitting before. Lucas looked up at Valentine and started laughing maniacally. He was holding his stomach with both hands and put his forehead on the steering wheel. 

After 45 seconds of this continuous laughter, Valentine started feeling uncomfortable. He pursed his lips and frantically looked up and down the street to make sure no one was outside. “Lucas, are you crazy? It’s almost 1 am! Why are you here?” 

Lucas stopped laughing and tried to compose himself. He looked up at him with those sad puppy dog eyes that Valentine saw when he told him he didn’t return his feelings earlier that day at school. “Why’d you reject me?” There was heavy emotion in his voice, obvious enough that even Valentine could recognize. That was when he realized Lucas wasn’t ok about everything like he told him he was, and he was drinking to ease the pain. Valentine typically found people to be predictable, but based on the events of the past few months Lucas has proven to be a special case. By tomorrow, he would go back to being his happy-go-lucky self. Valentine knew he'd deny all accusations at this moment, so he decided not to waste his breath on trying to reel up an explanation. 

Valentine stood there, mouth agape and fingers turning paler than his hair. He could've sworn he almost felt... guilty. Well, this is new. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up and stuffed them into his navy blue bathrobe. “I already told you. It’s because I don’t like anyone. It’s not because I don’t like you specifically.” He was already tired of repeating himself. He thought Lucas understood, but how could he when he didn’t even understand why he was like this himself? It didn’t matter. If he was going to be broken for the rest of his life, he didn’t need Lucas acting like a lunatic trying to wake up his whole neighborhood in the middle of the night and reminding him about it. 

Lucas’s mood suddenly switched from sad puppy to his normal, cheery self. “Speaking of that, I wanted to give you this,” he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and handed Valentine a messily folded piece of paper. Valentine took it, disregarding what was written on the inside when Lucas closed the door and started reving up his engine. “Ok, see you later!” He began to back up when Valentine yelled, “No, Lucas!” He slid the hand that was still in his pocket out and slammed it on the open window frame. “Get out of the car right now. I can’t believe you drove here. You could’ve gotten severely injured.” 

"I didn't though," he gave an annoyingly wide grin. 

Valentine glared at him. "It's freezing out here, do you want to go inside?" He folded the robe tighter over his light blue, pinstripe pajamas. 

Lucas opened the car door and stuck a hand out. "Lead the way, Simmons!" he exclaimed in an overly enthusiastic manner. 

'Great, he's a hysterical drunk,' Valentine thought. He hesitantly took his hand and watched as Lucas put one foot on the road and then another, trying to regain balance.

Once he stood stably, Lucas took his car keys out of the slot and closed the door. They circled Lucas's truck and walked up a few steps to Valentine's front porch. Lucas silently yawned and rested his head on Valentine's shoulder. Valentine flinched and inserted the spare key he acquired into the only hole on the doorknob.

Valentine turned around to tell Lucas something but he was encompassed in a loose hug instead. Lucas put his chin on Valentine's head and mumbled in a childish voice, "I'm tired." 

Valentine gently pushed him off. "Ok, I am too. My parents are upstairs, but they're heavy sleepers. Try not to make too much noise anyways. I don't think they'd approve of me sneaking a boy into my bedroom at this hour." Lucas waited by the staircase while Valentine turned off the lamp in his living room and drew the curtains on the big window. He carefully walked up the stairs with Lucas following his movements. They made a right and ended up where they needed to be without getting caught, soft snoring being heard from the opposite end of the hall.

Lucas looked around Valentine's bedroom. The walls were blank, painted a light shade of gray. His bed was in the center with the same colored flannel sheets on top. It was in between two mahogany side tables with various stacks of books on top. The only other furniture that could be seen was his desk and a roller chair underneath. 'Understated, like Valentine.' Lucas thought. He went over to sit on his bed, bouncing up and down when he got there.

Valentine opened his closet door and got out a neatly folded set of pajamas. "Here, put these on. You smell horrific." He handed them to Lucas. 

Lucas nodded and smiled when Valentine turned around with his arms folded over his chest. He got undressed and put on the white t-shirt and sweatpants. The fresh scent of laundry detergent and earthy undertones made Lucas feel all warm inside. He always thought Valentine smelled really good. He pulled Valentine down next to him, receiving an uneasy look. He remembered the note that was still tightly clutched in his hand and began bouncing up and down again. "Open it! Open it! Open it!" 

Valentine put a hand on his shoulder and inaudibly shushed him. He didn't really care about what was written the inside, but he opened it anyways to get Lucas to be quiet. It was one of his signature lists, handwriting messily scrawled down on ivory paper that was gridded. It was a list of different sexual orientations as far as he was aware. 

Underneath these definitions, there was another section similar to the first one except they were romantic orientations. He skimmed through most of them, because one word was circled: "Aromantic." He felt that even if it wasn't, that one word would've somehow stood out to him the most. He read about what it was and looked up at Lucas who had an empathetic expression on his face. Valentine suddenly couldn't wrap his brain around any of it. Not being interested in anyone when he sees his classmates getting into relationships and being instinctively affection with each other, people thinking he's a freak in one way or another, and Lucas still wanting to be his best friend when he was obviously hurting inside. Were all of those things plaguing his existence because of this one word? His mind was overflowing with these questioning thoughts. 

Lucas saw the confusion that was overtaking his face and tried to ease his mind. “Urban Dictionary is a great source of information for us average joes.” Valentine didn't laugh. "I was checking the trending list and saw that word. It reminded me of what you said earlier about never having a crush, so I thought 'maybe that's what you are.' 

Valentine huffed. "Did you really drive all the way here just to give me this list? That is beyond unnecessary." He tried to give it back to Lucas. 

Lucas wouldn't take it. "Not really. When I found out I was pansexual, it's like the world finally started to make sense. I had a euphoric moment, and I wanted to tell every single person I knew." 

That confession didn't surprise Valentine at all, but he stubbornly refused to connect their situations. "I am not having one of those." 

Lucas sighed and decided to take the list back. "All right, but I'm here when you're ready to talk." 

They sat in silence for awhile before Valentine broke it. "When you kissed me, I didn't feel anything. I don't understand how that's possible. Aren't I suppose to?" 

Lucas flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, man. Everyone's different."

Valentine crossed his hands over each other and looked down at his lap. "I've always been different, and I've never felt like I belonged anywhere. I don't care about not fitting in with other people, but sometimes it gets exhausting not being able to relate to them." 

"Yeah, that must be rough. I guess I'll never get it, but you'll always fit in when you're with me." Lucas slowly raised his arms. 

Valentine scooted over and willingly accepted the embrace. They held each other for only a few seconds. He recoiled when Lucas pulled him tighter and started rubbing his hands up and down his back. 

“Sorry, I- um.” Lucas laughed nervously. “Can we get some rest now?” 

Valentine pretended to clear his throat. "Yes, it's probably for the best.” He smoothed down the sheets. “I don’t have any extra bedding, so you can sleep with me.” 

Lucas nearly choked. He made an indistinguishable noise and covered his hands with his mouth which earned an alarmed look from Valentine. “Are you alright?” he asked. 

“Yeah.” He got up and awkwardly stood there while Valentine covered himself with his blanket. “Are you sure you won’t be like uncomfortable?” 

“Well, I’m not going to force you to sleep in the bathtub. It’s kind of cramped in there. I don’t think you’ll fit,” he joked. 

Lucas gave a little chuckle and got underneath the blanket as well. “You’re right, I won’t.” 

They were facing each other, but Valentine was looking down. Lucas turned his body over so Valentine wouldn’t get a neck cramp in the morning. A few minutes past, and he feels slim arms move around his waist. His heartbeat quickens. He lays down to be on his back. Valentine put his head on Lucas’s chest, clinging on to him. 

“Thank you, Lucas. Goodnight,” he whispered.

Lucas’s jaw dropped. He didn’t know what exactly Valentine was thanking him for, but he was grateful for this position nevertheless. He lifted himself up a little and wrapped a loving arm around his shoulders. “Goodnight, Valentine,” he whispered back. 

Valentine was the first one to fall asleep. Lucas watched as he gradually closed his eyes. He was too distracted by the white blonde hair softly grazing his cheek and the quiet breathing that sounded angelic to his ears to remember they both had to get up in 4 hours. Lucas listened to the faint chirping of crickets to help him get back to reality and was already dreading the killer hangover that was to come. He eventually fell asleep in a content state of being with a sense of pure accomplishment.

**Author's Note:**

> THESE TWO HAVE THE CUTEST BROMANCE EVER! I'm not sure if it can be considered a bromance when one of the guys has feelings for the other, but they're still the best fictional ace/pan duo that's ever been created. This isn't up for debate. If you haven’t read SWWL yet, you should.


End file.
